Steny Hoyer: “no poor Republican member of the Committee on Rules who was given this assignment has risen to defend this rule.…”

“no poor Republican member of the Committee on Rules who was given this assignment has risen to defend this rule. Certainly the chairman of the Committee on the Budget has not. This started out as a House joint concurrent resolution. ``Concurrent'' meant that it would be agreed upon by both sides. They have dropped the ``current'' and it is now just a ``con,'' a con on the American people, a con on this institution. Tonight, they sound the death knell for the policy of fiscal discipline, and are poised to drive our Nation into spiralling and historic debt. They put us on the path to increased debt by more than $5.5 trillion, and then to $12 trillion. Here is the real kicker: There will be no debate on this stealth action and there will be no vote; there will only be a swelling sea of debt that promises to drown our future prosperity. Yes, it is a con job. Let us remember the unequivocal words of the majority leader, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay), which still reverberate throughout this Chamber.”